Welcome to February 2024, where we bring you the first eShop Selects of the year. We’ve made some exciting changes to this edition by involving our readers in the selection process. Alongside our picks for the best eShop game, we opened up a poll for you to choose your favorite eShop-only game of the month. Let’s dive into the details and reveal the winners!
The staff and contributors at Nintendo Life have the privilege of selecting the top three games. These games are chosen from the eShop titles we’ve reviewed on our site that were released in January 2024.
Here are the games that made it to the top three:
Bahnsen Knights: A Pixel Pulp Masterpiece
The third installment in the Pixel Pulp series, Bahnsen Knights, created by novelist Nico Saraintaris and artist Fernando Martinez Ruppel, has captured our attention. This game blends the beloved Choose Your Own Adventure books with stunning pixel art, resulting in a short but exhilarating experience. In our review, we awarded Bahnsen Knights an impressive 9/10, a testament to its quality.
Hitman: Blood Money – An Ageless Stealth Classic
Before the World of Assassination trilogy, Hitman: Blood Money stood as the pinnacle of the series. This game keeps the different options and world-class stealth gameplay mechanics intact, despite showing its age in certain areas. With an 8/10 rating in our review, it’s clear that Hitman: Blood Money continues to hold its ground as an all-time favorite.
Lil’ Guardsman: An Original Gem
Imagine a cute version of Papers, Please infused with the style and humor of Monkey Island. That’s precisely what Lil’ Guardsman offers, and it does not disappoint. Blending its inspirations with an original narrative, Lil’ Guardsman shines on the Switch. It comes as no surprise that our staff declared it the first winner of the eShop Selects votes, earning an 8/10 in our review.
We also conducted a poll, allowing our readers to choose their favorite eShop game of January 2024. The results are in, and with 21% of the votes, Arcade Archives Rainbow Islands has emerged as the Reader’s Choice winner!
A Classic Standout: Arcade Archives Rainbow Islands
Sometimes, you can’t beat the classics, and Arcade Archives Rainbow Islands is a shining example of that. Developed by Hamster, this game has aged like fine wine and continues to captivate players even after more than 35 years since its original arcade release. With its charm and challenging gameplay, it’s no wonder that it won the hearts of our readers.
Now, let’s shed some light on how we determine our eShop Selects top three. At the end of each month, the Nintendo Life staff votes for their favorite titles from a list of games curated by our editorial team. To qualify for this list, the games must be digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop titles released in that particular month, and they must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life.
Our staff is then asked to vote for three games that they believe deserve to be at the top of the list. The first choice receives 3 points, the second choice gets 2 points, and the third choice gets 1 point. By tallying these votes, we generate a top-three list, with the overall winner taking the month’s top prize.
January 2024 came with a fantastic lineup of eShop games, and we’re thrilled to have shared our favorites with you. The eShop Selects showcase the cream of the crop, and the addition of the Reader’s Choice poll adds an extra layer of excitement to the selection process. Congratulations to all the winners, and stay tuned for more eShop Selects in the coming months!
Leave a Reply